Online gaming operator Gammix has vowed to challenge last week’s €19.7 million fine from the Netherlands Gambling Authority.
The company says the “outrageous and unsubstantiated” penalty from Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is based on “falsified data, extreme inaccuracy and highly suspect mathematics”, and has vowed to appeal the decision.
“Now that we are able to talk openly about the case, we can confirm that we are fighting on all fronts as, to us, this is an extraordinary and unnecessarily heavy-handed action from a regulator that many already regarded as unapproachable,” said Phil Pearson, director of Malta-headquartered Gammix.
“When we received the first notice of a possible penalty, we reached out to them to say we have blocks in place. We also asked for any information they had that was material to the investigation, to ensure we remained in compliance with all guidelines – a request they appeared to ignore. Our lawyers also approached the regulator, in writing, to gain more information, but again no response was forthcoming.”
Pearson adds that the company uses Cloudflare to block Dutch IP addresses and does not offer its services in the Dutch language or with direct Dutch payment methods. “If affiliates list any of our brands on Dutch-facing sites, we cannot be held responsible for those promotions,” he explained. “However, once players reached the end site, they would not be able to register an account.
“This fine is an absolute joke, and we will contest this in every possible way, at every possible turn. We will only rest once this outrageous penalty has been rescinded and we have received the apology we deserve.”
Gammix was previously fined €4 million by the KSA in 2022 for allegedly serving the market without a local licence.